Getting Ed Psych appointment with view to statementing

[cjn27b]

Is there a timescale in which a school must arrange for your child to be seen by an Educational Psychologist once you've requested this?

We have just met with DS's preschool head and SENCO (he has ASD), and been told that we need an Ed Psych report prior to starting the statmenting process. Apparently without this Ed Psych report any request for a statement will be rejected. However, it seems the school only get 6 Ed Psych visits per year and the next two are already booked up, so it'll take 6 months at least before DS is seen by an Ed Psych.

So to wait 6 months, then start the statementing process (which we've been told you don't have a hope in hell of getting through in 6 months in our Borough as everyone has to appeal and it'll take a year) means that it'll be impossible for DS to get a statement before he goes up to reception.

His nursery and others feel he will need extra support once he moves up, so they are backing us. Just seems Lewisham doesn't have enough Ed Psychs to go around and as a result this won't happen...

Anyone know anything about this?

Many thanks for any advice you're able to offer.

I think you are being fobbed off. The seeking ed psych first is a red herring - by saying this they are trying to put you off. Apply for the statement - see letter on ipsea' as part of the statementing process the ed psych will see her

The quickest way to get an EP is to submit a request for statutory assessment yourself. A rejection of an assessment without an EP report looks very dodgy. If you are rejected, submit appeal, then you'll get an EP.

You coukd of course pay for your own EP. This is becoming more and more necessary anyhow.

What will help your case at tribunal, is a submission, in writing to the Head and SENCO 'clarifying' that they did indeed say the bollocks they did. They will then have the chance to write back telling you you have clearly misunderstood and what the meant is that the EP will be seeing your Ds first thing on Monday morning.

And if that is an example of a setting 'backing' you, then I'd be very worried indeed.

Sorry to be so negative. You'll find this a lot probably. One agency blaming another and a lot of shrugging. Don't shrug along with them.

I'm familiar with this borough. What you are hearing is a standard tactic nd is nonsense designed to fob you off. Star is spot on, (to the point where I hope this nursery is not the one assigned to where you want your child to go in reception as Lewisham does have some excellent provision for under 5's.)

Apply for the statement yourself today. That puts a legal timeline on when the EP has to come and see your child.

They have massive caseloads in that neck of the woods, so unless there's a statutory legal requirement for them to take a look at your child, you may still be hearing the above nonsense in KS2/3. Don't let yourself be put at the bottom of the list below statement applications, annual review and chair throwers.

I had had a really astonishing call from the LEA today on this topic. I had applied for a statutory assessment at the beginning of this year and was told that they had decided not to assess at that time, but that following an EP assessment they would reconsider my request. I went along with that and the EP carried out an assessment, reporting in July. I then wrote back to the LEA last week noting to them that now the EP assessemnt was done so could they reconsider my request.

The woman from the LEA called me today and said that my request for an assessment had been "put to panel" and they wanted some more information. OK I said, what do you need? Then she asked me if I would agree to my son undergoing an EP assessment. WTF!! She had no idea that her own department had already carried out such an assessment (despite my noting this on my recent letter to them!). This incompetnec does not bode well for future relations between them and me, I can tell! Unbelieveable!

I have now written them a formal request letter, and enclosed for their information a copy of their OWN EP report, given that they don't even seem to know it exists!

Thank you everyone.

The SENCO is new, and while she said she thought this was the way ahead, she did say she'd check it out. She has the Ed Psych's first school visit of the year (which is fully booked with other kids) next week and she said she'll ask the Ed Psych what they think is the best way forward. I am hoping the SENCO and the Ed Psych will say the school will go ahead and apply for a Statutory Assessment without the Ed Psych's report. The SENCO said she'll email us after this meeting with their thoughts.

Our next meeting with the SENCO and autism outreach team is on 4 October.

This leaves us with two options.

1. Wait a couple of weeks, and if we don't get the response from the SENCO post her meeting with Ed Psych, then explain we're applying for a statement as parents at our meeting with the SENCO and autism outreach team.

1. Go strait back, explain I've done some research, and that we want the school to apply for the Statutory Assessment ASAP and that we'll be applying too. We do not wait for an Ed Psych report. Rather the actual application for the Statutory Assessment is how you get an Ed Psych repot.

I am wondering, if 'you' MNers with more experience and wisdom think this is the right way forward? I don't want to be seen as confrontational or difficult, as this school is small and friendly, with a good reputation for ASD kids. Out of what we've seen so far, it does seem like the best option.

Another question is - Does anyone know how you go about getting a private Ed Psych report? Do you try to use same Ed Psych's as Local Authority to ensure it's accepted, or should the Local Authority have a list of accredited Ed Psychs?

I am starting to realise quite what a mountain we have to climb.

Dudesmummy your story makes me shudder. It's amazing, you get a diagnosis, loads of people give you loads of info, and then you're waved on your merry way in a state of total bewilderment. Why is it everyone is so good at telling you what you need and so useless as helping you get it???

I would tell the SENCO that you're really pleased they are looking out for your child and supporting a request for a statutory assessment but as she appeared unsure about the way forward, you investigated it yourself and have decided to apply as parents as you expect the cogs to be slow turning and want to keep details of the paperwork for future reference.

Tell them that you are Very impressed with their identification of his needs and that they shared with you in good time, their professional opinion about him needing significant additional support next year.

Finally, make sure all the above is done in polite written form.

What Starlight stated in her last two posts.

Apply for the statement yourself as some schools can sit on such apps for ages without doing anything. Also if you apply for it a) you know its been done then and b) you can appeal in the event the LEA say no. School cannot readily appeal if the LEA say no.

You will need to write to the Chief Education Officer at your LEA (council offices can give you this name) and give them six weeks to reply.

Thank you all. Engineered a 'bumping' into SENCO when collecting DS. Managed to say that I was really worried the whole process would take at least 18 months if we wait for Ed Psych before applying, and having waited 18 months for diagnosis we just couldn't face the stress of another long drawn out process and we just needed to get on with things. Explained that I'd got information from the NAS and local support group, which all recommended applying for SA as soon as possible and it's very very unlikely they'd make a decision without an Ed Psych report. I said I understood school resources for Ed Psych were limited and we didn't want to queue jump (which we don't as that's not fair on others), so we are happy to pay for a Ed Psych assessment if needed.

So we've agreed to wait and see what the Ed Psych says at the meeting they have next week, and what the local ASD outreach team say at the meeting with SENCO, nursery head and us in a couple of weeks. After that we as parents will be requesting an SA whatever the outcome, and depending on what the various parties say to the SENCO the school will or won't at this stage. What the SENCO did make clear is the school are fully backing us in going for an SA, it's just a question of how it's done.

As the SENCO is new, and new to the Borough, she must only just be working out who all the players are here. So it only feels fair to give her a couple of weeks to do that!

Starlight I wish I'd written your post before I tried to take and long and calming walk to school. You have a cool, considered, calm I can only aspire to. I hope in times of future stress (and I'm guessing there may be many) you will still be here on this board.

Thank you all other Mumsnetters too. This really has been a wonderful resource during these last 18 months and no doubt it'll continue to be so. When someone first raises 'concerns' over your child, you think you can never be that stressed again. Then comes a diagnosis. And now, the statementing process. Each hurdle gets a little easier, but it sometimes feels so isolating and overwhelming. Here on this board I've had reassurance and words of wisdom throught. Thank you all.